BP and Hypertension

ABSTRACT

To the Editor.—The article entitled "Persistence of Normal BP After Withdrawal of Drug Treatment in Mild Hypertension" by Levinson et al in the December Archives (1982;142:2265-2268) provides reinforcement of the dangerous philosophy espoused by many physicians and patients.The fact that the antihypertensive effect of various agents persists after the discontinuance of therapy has been shown by my studies and those of others. In 1951 I began uncontrolled clinical studies of the dihydrogenated ergot alkaloids followed five years later by prospective double-blind studies of more than 30 agents.After withdrawing each of the substances being investigated, the patients' conditions were observed at weekly intervals until the BP returned to the levels that had existed prior to the administration of the placebo or drug. Although the time varied from a few weeks to 15 months, the BPs, without exception, returned to pretreatment readings.I have seen innumerable instances in clinical

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